Death toll rises to 78; 105 people are missing

Rio Grande do Sul Civil Defense Bulletin published on Sunday night (5/5) indicates an increase in the number of victims resulting from the tragedy that has hit the state. According to the agency, 78 people have already died and 105 are still missing after the storms that hit the region last week.

The balance also says that 844 thousand people were impacted by the rains. Due to the bad weather, 134,331 people had to leave the homes they live in, with 115,844 homeless and another 18,487 in shelters. Of the 497 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, 341 were affected by the storms.

At least 261,000 points in the state are without electricity and more than 854,000 are without water supply, according to a report from the Departments of Environment and Infrastructure, Logistics and Transport and Education.

Rain causes damage and changes in traffic on highways. There are 110 sections on 61 highways with total and partial closures, including roads and bridges.

Risk of overflowing Guaíba Lake

Civil Defense also warns of the risk of overflowing one of the “dams” containing Lake Guaíba, which could affect around 100,000 residents of the capital of Rio Grande do Sul.

Since Saturday (4/5), there have been reports of leaks in several of the structure’s gates in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. After several reports of flooding in the Sarandi neighborhood, which covers almost 100,000 inhabitants, the Civil Defense issued an alert at around 6:15 pm this Sunday to evacuate the region.

“Civil Defense warns of the possibility of the Fiergs dike overflowing. The recommendation is that residents of the Sarandi neighborhood and the area comprising the dike up to Avenida Assis Brasil, close to Avenida Sertório, leave the area and seek safe shelter”, says a note from the entity.